Park at the first parking lot. Walk straight up the hill to the ridge and then take a path to the left and follow the cairns to the path down and abseil point. The path down to the crag goes on the right (when the crag below you). You can also abseil into this crag, The abseil anchors are safely set back about 1 meter from the edge (a doubled 50 meter rope will get you to the bottom)

Park at the first parking lot. Walk straight up the hill to the ridge and then take a path to the left and follow the cairns to the path down and abseil point. The path down to the crag goes on the right (when the crag below you). You can also abseil into this crag, The abseil anchors are safely set back about 1 meter from the edge (a doubled 50 meter rope will get you to the bottom)

Revision as of 17:55, 5 June 2012

Behind the ridge are four different crags: the Lower Silvermine Crag has easy routes and is perfect for beginners, Blaze of Glory is a little harder, Silvermine Main Crag is a good all round crag and Fawltey Towers for some harder stuff.

±80 single pitch sport routes

Grades 4 to 7b+

10 to 25 minute walk-in

These are some of the best crags in South Africa with short walk-ins, superb rock quality and brilliant routes.

Contents

Season

Rock

Sandstone

Gear

Sport rack, 50m or 60m rope. Be sure to tie a knot in the end of your rope as some of the routes are higher than 25m.

The climbing

Mostly vertical to slightly overhanging with a good 'get your leg up overhang' on a couple of the routes at Silvermine Main Crag and Blaze of Glory. There are many less overhanging/easier climbs at the two Lower Crags.

Getting There

From Cape Town, take Ou Kaapse Weg towards Noordhoek. Once on top of the mountain turn right into the Silvermine Reserve. There is an entrance fee of R30.00 to get into the reserve (February 2012). A Wild card also gets you in.
Visitors to South Africa can also take advantage of the Wild cards.Wildcard

Areas

Lower Silvermine Crag

Routes from L to R
Park at the first parking lot. Walk straight up the hill to the ridge and then take a path to the left and follow the cairns to the path down and abseil point. The path down to the crag goes on the right (when the crag below you). You can also abseil into this crag, The abseil anchors are safely set back about 1 meter from the edge (a doubled 50 meter rope will get you to the bottom)

Mercury 26 Richard BehneThis route has been rebolted with chemical anchors by the Anchor Replacement Fund

Pistolero 20 Patrick McCann

Josie Get Your Gun 21 Patrick McCannHard if you're short

Cool Hand Luke 18 Patrick McCann

Male Country 24 Jayson Orton

No Man's Land 24 John Alexander

Sterling Silver 21 John AlexanderA classic! This route has been rebolted with chemical anchors by the Anchor Replacement Fund

Revealyomango 20 Tony Lourens

Train Spotting 28 Guy Holwill

Silver Streak 26 Paul Schlodfeldt

Dragonfly 26 Mike Roberts

Trance Dance 23 Malcolm Gowans

Kirika 23 Greg Hart, 2006The grey streaks, crack and roof right of Trance Dance. The first two bolts are not in the best of rock.

Photos

Clipping the chains on Sterling Silver. photo: Philip Starke

Sterling Silver. photo: Andy Davies

Fawltey Towers

To get to Fawltey Towers, walk along the dirt road to the far side of the ridge. Once on the ridge, head back (that is, walk in the direction of Muizenberg). Look for a rock cairn indicating the path to walk down to the crag. You will arrive at the right hand side of the crag.

From left to right:

Moose's Head 23 Guy Holwill

The Psychiatrist 22 Jason Temple-Forbes

Corked 19 Jayson Orton

Duck Surprise 20 Tony Lourens

Communication Breakdown 23 Jayson Orton

Lemonade 16 (9 bolts) Tyrone Chan, March 2005

Playin' Hookie 16 (9 bolts) Scott Miller, March 2005

Sthpoonz 20 Jayson Orton

Waldorf Salad 18 Robyn Holwill (harder start a metre or so to the right is graded 22)

Brahm's Third Racket 26 Guy Holwill

Basil the Rat 23 Jayson Orton

Toreador of Torquay 21 Patrick McCann

name? 21/22 It starts off with a couple of metres of face climbing, then moves up and right to a roof with some nice jugs, which moves over the roof to a left handed pinch, finally finishing at the chains under the ceiling.

False Alarm 26 Jayson Orton

Don't Mention the War 26 Guy Holwill

Fire Alarm 23 (7 bolts) Scott Miller, February 2005

The Germans 27 Guy Holwill

Bravest Orangutan in Britain 22 Gordon Forbes

Not Yet Major 25 Guy Holwill

Lord Melbury 25 Robyn Holwill

Boff 23 Jason Temple-Forbes

Poff 21 Jayson Orton (this is the first route you will see when you arrive at the crag)